Structural controlled magnetic anisotropy in Heusler L10-MnGa epitaxial thin films

Ferromagnetic L1(0)-MnGa thin films have been epitaxially grown on GaN, sapphire, and MgO substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Using diffraction techniques, the epitaxial relationships are determined. It is found that the crystalline orientation of the films differ due to the influence of the substrate. By comparing the magnetic anisotropy to the structural properties, a clear correlation could be established indicating that the in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropy is directly determined by the crystal orientation of the film and could be controlled via selection of the substrates. This result could be helpful in tailoring magnetic anisotropy in thin films for spintronic applications. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3582244]